Tricks and Secrets and Lies
by MandaLynWilson
Summary: ON HOLD-In s2 e9, Bill & Sookie talk about Eric tricking Sookie into drinking his blood. He reveals another secret he's been keeping from her, but she doesn't seem to catch it. What if she had? This begins as a transcript from the show before going AU.
1. Chapter 1 The Dawn of Panic

Tricks and Secrets and Lies

Summary: In s2 e9, Bill & Sookie talk about Eric tricking Sookie into drinking his blood. He reveals another secret he's been keeping from Sookie, but she doesn't seem to catch it. What if she had? This begins as a transcript from the show before going AU.

Chapter 1 The Dawn of Panic

"I could kick myself. I'm so stupid. I wasn't thinkin'," Sookie berated herself, coming out of the bathroom and collapsing on the bed.

"He did take bullets for you. At least we both came out of it alive," Bill replied, trying to comfort both Sookie and himself.

"I know better than to believe one word out of that man's mouth. I sucked his chest! What is wrong with me?"

"Eric has had a thousand years practice in deceit. He lied to prove his power to me. He counted on your goodness. There's no shame in that. "

"But his blood, Bill. I tried to spit it all out. Really. But some of it musta gone down."

"It only takes a drop or two."

"He'll always know where I am and how I feel. Always. That's the worst of all."

"No. Not the worst."

"What do you mean?"

"Don't be surprised if you feel some attraction to him... Sexual."

"To Eric? That's impossible. I can't stand him."

"It is possible. It's another consequence of the blood. It woulda happened sooner or later. He was determined to form this bond with you."

Sookie took a deep breath and thought about what Bill was telling her. How had she gotten so mixed up in all of this? She thought back to when Bill first walked into Merlotte's. She had wanted to meet a vampire but ever since she'd let him into her life, trouble followed. She had been bored before but safe.

Now she was nearly getting killed and having to drink vampire blood and then be attracted to him just because... An ugly realization dawned on her then. She'd had Bill's blood. A lot of it. And long before she'd ever started dating him.

She studied his face as he sat there on the bed before her. Had she been attracted to him at first or only curious about his kind? Why had he never told her about this before?

Come to think of it, why was he so late the night the Rattrays had attacked her? Surely no one would ever go to that kind of extreme? Was it possible that he had really let her get that hurt just so she would need to drink his blood? Had he trapped her?

She looked at him, trying to decide how to ask him, but she was afraid to know the answer. He smiled at her in a way that seemed indulgent, like he was looking at a child or someone slow in the head. Did he think she was stupid?

A powerful panic settled in Sookie's chest. She felt as if she'd suffocate and die right there. Bill could feel her tense up and he reached out to comfort her.

Sookie moved back so quickly, she was off the other side of the bed and on the floor before she'd realized she'd moved. How much of Eric's blood _had_ she ingested?

"Sookie, easy, honey. What's wrong?"

She blinked a few times, pulling herself from her thoughts and looked up at Bill, now standing over her. He was too close. It made her a little claustrophobic and her chest tightened further. She knew she'd pass out if she didn't get a breath soon.

She forced a weak cough and managed to whisper, "Back, please."

Bill was scared for her. He wanted to pick her up and soothe the suffocating panic he could feel but at her urging, he managed to restrain his instincts. He held his empty hands up in a gesture of surrender and backed away a few steps.

She was spooked, probably by the thought of Eric's forced bond, but why was she acting like he was the threat?

"What is it, Sookie? What can I do for you?"

Still not being able to breathe well past the panic of her realization, she managed a choked, "What else?"

"What else, what, darlin'?"

Finally catching one long breath, she yelled at him, "What else have you not told me?"

She continued to struggle to breathe past the fear that everything she believed might be a lie, while Bill stared down at her in shock. She was angry with him. He didn't know why but before he had a chance to ask, the hotel room door slammed open and Eric stormed into the room.

"What the hell are you doing to her, Compton? I've never felt such a panic!"

"This is not your concern, Eric. She is mine!" Bill yelled at the Viking vampire towering over him.

"You obviously do not know how to care for what is yours!" Eric raged back at the infuriating whelp.

Sookie was a flood of overwhelming emotions as she watched the two vampires on the verge of tearing each other apart. She was ashamed of herself for trusting either of them, angry at herself for falling apart right then, but mostly she was being crushed by the panic that left her stuck in this world she wished was still hidden from her. She just wanted to un-know it all.

She wanted to hate them both and she did at that moment, but she knew that if she was being honest, she wanted them both too. She stared at Eric for a minute. She did still hate him, but she couldn't deny that the attraction was there. It was like she was curious about him now and really looking at him for the first time. Damn vampire tricks! How could she ever be expected to know what she felt if their blood was influencing her? She wanted to know what were truly her thoughts and feelings and not just their manipulation.

If she was wrong about Bill being a good guy, could she be wrong about Eric being a bad guy? Surely no one was just one or the other. She remembered even having told Bill that she knew there was darkness in him. Now she was beginning to think there was more truth to that statement than she could have known at that time.

"Sookie? What's going on?" Jason called, alerted by the angry yelling vampires. When he saw his little sister cradled in on herself on the floor, he ran past the two vampires and gathered her in his arms. "What in the hell are ya'll doin' to my sister? Get out!" Jason yelled, rocking Sookie and trying to get her to calm down.

"Jason, we did nothing," Bill began to explain.

"I only came here to find out what he was doing to make her panic," Eric defended himself, though he didn't know why he even felt the need to explain himself to some human, especially _this_ one.

"Get out!" Jason yelled again.

The two looked like they might turn their anger on him and Jason was truly scared for a minute until Sookie managed a raspy, "Please, leave."

The vampires softened their stances minutely. Bill sighed.

"I will leave, if he does," Eric stated, folding his long arms across his chest and indicating Bill with a nod of his head.

"Bill, please. Go," Sookie begged, nearly breathless.

Bill nodded and moved toward the door, stopping when he realized Eric was still standing over Sookie.

"Eric," Bill called warningly.

"Fine. But if she gets that upset again, I will be back," Eric vowed, following Bill out of the room.

Sookie sighed and relaxed a bit in Jason's arms.

"Sook, are you okay?"

She looked up at her brother and thought about lying but she just didn't have the strength.

"No," she answered, shaking her head and giving herself over to a fit of tears as Jason rocked her in his arms.


	2. Chapter 2 Dreams and Friends

Chapter 2 Dreams and Friends

A/N: This chapter begins with another familiar scene from season 2, episode 9, before continuing on with my AU story line.

Thank you, CR, for being a wonderful beta! ;)

Legal: Not mine, but I can dream, right?

~xoxo~

He traced a finger down her neck and over her shoulder. Sookie took a breath and rolled over on the silk sheets to face him.

"Finish your sentence."

"What was I sayin'?"

"You were telling me why you'd be a terrible vampire and I was disagreeing."

"Well, I don't feel right without a tan."

He chuckled softly and took her hand.

"It's true," she continued, "And I'd rather be alive than undead. And then y'all are always killin'," she finished, while he placed tender kisses on her knuckles.

"You've killed a man," he reminded her.

"That was for self-defense, not for lunch."

"You'd adapt, like we all do. Trade the sun for moon and stars."

"Uh-uh, not me. I want 'em all."

He grinned at her and chuckled again, "Oh, greedy."

"Yeah, I am."

"I love it."

He kissed her knuckles again before raising himself up on his elbow up a bit and looking down on her with a more serious expression.

"You have the right temperament for a vampire."

"What? I'm high maintenance, blood thirsty, and old as dirt?" she retorted with a flirty smile.

He nodded. "Uh, blood thirsty, yeah."

"I am not," she shot back in an indignant tone.

He smiled again and that sexy chuckled filled her ears.

"Everybody thinks you're a darling, don't they?"

"I am a darling."

"Yeah, but you're ruthless when it comes to the people you love," he said, skimming his fingers lightly down her back. "You'd do anything for them. Your brother. Your friends," he continued, tracing those long fingers delicately down her hip. "Me," he whispered, leaning down to kiss her before a woman's voice distracted her.

"Bill."

Sookie giggled a questioning, "Bill?" and sat up to look at the vampire who'd spoken, as Eric leaned in to kiss and nibble her neck. "Where's Bill?"

Lorena leaned forward and asked, "What do you care? You've already abandoned him."

"I have not," Sookie responded, Eric still nuzzling at her neck. "I love Bill," she told Lorena before Eric's hand caressed her cheek and guided her back down to the silk covered bed.

Lorena chuckled softly and sat back into the shadows.

Eric continued caressing her skin and said, "I used to think you had no sense of humor."

"I used to think you were made of cold hard stone, and empty inside."

"And now?" he asked, getting that serious look on his face again.

"You're a big faker," she chuckled and smiled up at him. "You're deep. You feel. There's love in you."

"Only for Sookie," he replied before pulling her face back down for a searing kiss.

"You don't want Bill," Lorena accused. "He means nothing to you."

Sookie broke the kiss with Eric and sat up again, "No," she told Lorena before Eric slid a hand around her neck and pulled her back down on the bed.

He leaned over her, all serious again, and said, "This is the beginning."

They continued to kiss and caress, a fire threatening to consume them both, as Lorena's evil laugh washed over the room.

Sookie's eyes shot open. She took a deep breath and looked around the room. She was in the bed alone, having sent Bill away the previous evening.

A moment of worry settled on her. Was the Lorena in her dream right? Had she abandoned Bill?

He'd tricked her. He kept secrets from her. He lied to her. Yeah, he'd told her when she drank his blood that a side effect was an increased libido. What he'd not told her was that it would be _focused_ on him. For chrissakes, she'd given her virginity to him!

What she wouldn't give to have Gran around to talk to... Jason had been really sweet yesterday. He'd held her and put her to bed. They even talked about Gran a little. It was nice that he was finally coming around, but he wasn't exactly someone she could talk to about all this. He barely seemed able to follow a conversation sometimes and she didn't imagine he'd be full of sage advice on how to deal with vampires, especially since he'd only _just_ started accepting them as people instead of monsters.

He was the only family she had left though. She realized that they were the only living members of their line. It was a scary thought, especially if she combined it with the thought that her own life seemed to be in constant peril.

She took a deep breath and let a little wave of self-pity sweep over her. She wondered idly if her cousin Hadley was still alive. The last she knew, her cousin had run off from a rehab center. She'd pretty much given her up as dead when she never showed up asking for anything again. Sookie promised herself that when she got home, she'd look into finding out what happened to her cousin. She might not like what she found, but at least she'd know.

Who could she talk to about all this? Sam might understand better where she was coming from but God knows that friendship was on the rocks and besides, he'd undoubtedly be biased because he wanted to date her. Tara and Arlene had always hated Bill for what we was.

Sookie had never considered it a problem to have so few close friends. It was hard to be around other people with her disability. Now she just wished there were more people waiting for her at home.

Of course, she had to figure out what to do about the vampires before she could get back to Bon Temps. She wondered for a moment where Bill had gone to rest for the day. A glance at the clock told her that sunset was not too far off and she'd most likely find out soon, whether she was ready to or not.

With a sigh, she climbed out of bed, determined to at least get a shower and get dressed before she had to deal with the dang vampires. Stripping down and letting the water warm up, she took a moment to look at her body in the mirror. Bill and Eric might be wrecking havoc on her psyche but their blood was doing wonders for her body. She looked good, really healthy and strong. Her skin seemed to glow.

She allowed herself one more sigh of self-pity before stepping into the steamy shower. So far, this was one of her favorite parts of this trip. The water beat against her skin with a delicious pressure that made her relax, and want to stay in there forever. Unfortunately, even though she doubted that the hot water could ever be exhausted, she had to get out and get dressed before one or both of her vampires showed up. She would not have them finding her in such a compromising position.

Sookie dressed quickly and put her hair up in a bun out of the way. Just as she stepped out into the sitting room, there was a knock at the door. She sighed. It was barely sunset and here they were; at least they had the decency to knock. She took a deep breath and pulled the door open.

"Miss Stackhouse, forgive me for disturbing you."

Sookie smiled at Godric. She was genuinely relieved and even pleased to see him.

"You're not disturbin' me at all, Godric. Please call me Sookie. Won't you come in?"

"Thank you, Sookie. I was hoping to ask you for a favor."

"Of course. I certainly owe you one after you saved me like you did last night," she told him, directing him to have a seat on the couch. "Can I get you a Tru:Blood?"

"Thank you," he responded with a smile as she moved over to heat a bottle from the minibar. "Though you would not have needed saving had I not been so foolish."

"If you don't mind me asking, what were you doing with those crazy bigots over at that church?"

Godric smiled at the girl. She had a disarming charm about her that he couldn't help but admire. It was no wonder that she had vampires fighting over her.

"I do not mind at all, Sookie," he told her, taking the offered bottle of blood as she sat in the chair across from him. "I'm afraid I may not have a very good answer though. I had hoped that in some way, it might fix things."

"Fix what?"

"They way they, you, humans see us. I'm tired of perpetuating the cruel lifestyle so many of my kind choose. I hope we can evolve, become more enlightened and live in peace with humans."

"Those are noble goals, Godric, but I'm still missing the part where you burning helps the cause."

"I'm not sure if I can explain it. I told you I was being foolish. I guess I thought I could take Mr. Newlin's vengeance for my kind and hope it would help everyone to heal."

"But vengeance is never satisfied. And it's not like his family didn't preach hate before they were killed."

"You are very wise for one so young."

Godric found himself smiling at her once again and Sookie felt a little better for the compliment.

"You wanted a favor?" she reminded him.

"Yes. I have an important meeting in a few hours. Since my home was destroyed and the hotel is so booked up, I'm having trouble finding a secure place to hold it. Your suite has the largest sitting area and I was hoping you would allow me to use it."

She gave him a curious look. "I'm surprised you didn't ask Bill or Eric, instead of me."

"Bill is not here. This is your room. Why would I ask one of them?"

"Because I am only human."

"Sookie," he admonished with a gentle smile, "If I do not treat my own human friends as equals, how will we ever make any progress toward a peaceful existence?"

Sookie gave him a genuine smile. He seemed very sincere.

"Of course you may use my room. And I'm glad that we're friends."

"As am I. Now, let me leave you in peace for a while before I have to impose upon you again."

Godric stood to leave and Sookie followed him to the door. She couldn't resist asking him something before he left. After all, he did say they were friends.

"Godric?"

"Yes, Sookie?"

"Would you tell me honestly what you think of Eric's interest in me?"

He smiled at her again. She was too charming to refuse and he realized he had not smiled so often in such a short span of time in longer than he could remember. How rare it was to find a human who spoke her mind with such honesty and conviction. He was truly glad she was his friend.

"I will tell you a secret, Sookie, but you must never repeat it. Do you agree?"

"Cross my heart," she responded, making the motion across her chest with her right hand.

"That is as sacred an oath as you could make to me," he told her with a friendly chuckle. "Eric has a great capacity for empathy, but he stays in a cold shell and that is all that most people see but, in his way, he's a very compassionate creature. His position requires him to be the tough Viking that he is but I would trust him, were I you. Of course, he is my child and I am quite biased."

Sookie leaned forward and hugged the old vampire. It was awkward for Godric at first, but nice, and he gently returned the hug.

"Thank you," Sookie whispered to her new friend.

"Thank you, Sookie," he replied, disengaging from the hug and leaving her alone with her thoughts again.

Neither was all evil. Neither was particularly good. Both had manipulated her. Sookie couldn't decide if she was relieved or more troubled by Godric's endorsement of Eric. One thing was for sure, she was still angry with them both.

Her stomach growled, reminding her that she hadn't eaten yet. So she grabbed her room key and headed down to the lobby to find something to eat.

~xoxo~

E/N: And before anyone asks, this is not a Sookie/Godric story. I'm just sayin'. ;)


	3. Chapter 3 Tell The Truth

Chapter 3 Tell The Truth

A/N: I hope you don't find my interpretations of the characters too out of sorts. I'm taking them in a different direction with this tale and I'm trying to avoid all the misunderstandings that happen when people don't talk. I am trying to stick to believable established character traits and I hope I've succeeded for the most part. (Except for Sookie being too gullible, of course!) If you disagree, please let me know and if you have suggestions to improve what I'm trying to do here, they are most welcome. I appreciate all the comments I've gotten so far. Thanks, everyone!

Beta: CR, you are the very best! Thanks so much for all your help and ideas as I work on this story. I appreciate you so much! ;)

Legal: Sookie is unfortunately not mine, but sometimes I wish Eric were. =)

~xoxo~

Sookie grabbed a quick bite to eat and brought back some food for Jason, betting he was still in bed. As she stepped out of the elevator to head to his room, she caught her first sight of her vampires since yesterday, arguing in the hallway outside her door. She took a deep breath and continued on toward them. There was no getting around this, so she figured she'd just try to get through it.

"Before you two even start, let me take my brother some breakfast," she told them, holding up a hand to stop them from speaking. "Go on in the room and sit down. I'll be right there."

Amazingly, instead of arguing, they just did it. Weird. Normally, everything was a fight with those two.

Jason was still half-asleep when he shuffled to the door to greet Sookie.

"Hey, Sook. You okay this mornin'?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.

"Better than yesterday anyway. I brought you some breakfast," she told him, handing over the bag of food.

"Thanks. I appreciate it."

"No problem. I figure I owe you a least one meal for taking care of me yesterday. Thanks for standing up to vampires for me, Jason."

"Nobody, dead or alive, messes with my sister," he told her with conviction, giving her a hug with his free arm.

"Well speaking of the dead, I better go deal with these guys."

"Yeah, well if you need anything, you just holler and I'll be right over there."

Sookie looked up at her brother again and smiled. He might not be the sharpest tool in the shed but he loved her and she loved him too.

"Enjoy your breakfast and I'll see you in a bit."

Sookie turned to head toward her room, taking a calming breath. She still didn't know what she was going to do about Bill and Eric, but she hoped to get some answers at least.

When she stepped into the room, both men jumped up from their seats to look at her. It was very old fashioned, men standing when a lady walked into the room, but Sookie liked it. She was raised to appreciate good manners, even old fashioned ones. As she approached the sitting area, she noticed they'd both seated themselves on opposite couches so she could choose to sit by either of them. Being no fool, she sat in a single chair and they sat back down as she did.

"Sookie, what happened yesterday? What did I do to upset you?" Bill asked, very carefully.

Sookie sighed. "Yesterday you told me the truth."

"The truth? The truth about what?" Bill asked, obviously confused.

"About the consequences of drinking a vampire's blood."

"I have never lied to you about that," Bill told her solemnly, but all Sookie could wonder was what he had he lied about to have phrased it that way.

"I will not lie to you, Sookie," Eric told her. "Ask me whatever you like."

Bill snarled at Eric.

"I will not have you two fighting in here," Sookie told them sternly. "I know I have no real power over you, but if you want to talk and try to resolve things, I need you both to act like grownups and not teenage boys. Alright?"

The men looked at each other before looking back at Sookie, but they both remained quiet.

"I said 'alright'?" Sookie repeated.

The two nodded their agreement.

"Alright, then. I want to ask you both some questions and I want you to be honest with me. I know you've both had lifetimes to learn how to lie well, but do me a favor and just skip it, alright? Eventually everything comes out in the wash anyway and it's better to tell me something I don't want to hear now than later on. Okay?"

When they nodded at her again, she noticed that Bill seemed a little more reluctant and Eric a little more eager. Their attitudes going into this conversation did not set well with Sookie. She still wanted Bill to be the good guy, or at least the better one, but she promised herself that since she was asking for honesty from them, she'd at least be fair with them.

"One of the best things about being around y'all is that I don't have to concentrate to keep you out of my head, but I guess I never realized how much I depend on being able to hear when someone's lying to me. Bill, I just trusted that you would be honest with me. I assumed you would do what was best for me, but I'm real tired of not having a say in what it is best for me to know or not know.

"You waited two weeks before you even told me about Jessica and I'm not sure you would've ever told me if Eric hadn't dumped her back on your door step. I asked you that night what else you were hiding from me. Do you remember what you told me?"

"Nothing."

"That's right. You told me there was nothing else. You want to try answering that again?"

"Sookie, I still don't understand. I didn't lie to you last night," Bill reasoned.

"I didn't say you lied last night. Last night you told the truth. You told me that I would be attracted to Eric because I had drank his blood."

"And that is true," Bill confirmed.

"I think," Eric interrupted, "That she is implying that you did not tell her this when you fed her your blood."

Bill got real quiet at that point.

"So, do you want to tell me about anything else you're hiding from me?"

"Sookie, I love you. I'm not trying to deceive you about anything. I'm sorry if I didn't make those consequences clear from the beginning. I did tell you that you might experience an increased libido."

"Yes, but you did NOT tell me it would be focused on YOU."

"Sookie, if I may," Eric began before she cut him off.

"You will get your turn, Eric Northman, but I will thank you to keep quiet for right now. I am talking to Bill."

Eric arched an eyebrow at the girl. She had a lot of balls to talk to him that way, knowing he could tear her apart. He'd never given her any promise that she was safe with him. He wanted to get angry with her insolence, but he couldn't help to just be impressed with her. Deciding to err on the side of caution, for the moment, he sat back and let her have her little tantrum. At least it was directed at Bill for now.

"Thank you," Sookie snapped at Eric when it was clear he wouldn't retaliate and she turned her focus back to Bill. "Now, I will not ask you again, Bill Compton. What else are you hiding from me?"

"I..." Bill began before trailing off.

"Yes?"

"Uh, nothing, Sookie. Nothing I can think of."

She took a deep breath and tried to relax the muscles in her neck. He'd left himself an out and not answered the question. He hadn't even really given himself any time to think about it. Sookie had no doubt that there was something he was keeping that she ought to know.

"Bill, I'd like you to leave."

"What? Why? Sookie, you can't think I'm just going to leave you here alone with Eric."

"That is exactly what I expect you to do."

"But, Sookie..."

"I believe she asked you to leave, Bill," Eric interrupted again with a smug smirk on his face.

"I can handle myself, Eric. You will learn that quick or we will not be getting along at all," Sookie snapped at Eric.

He held his hands up in surrender and gave her a cheeky grin.

"Bill, I will talk to you again later. Right now I want to talk to Eric."

"But, Sookie, he will lie to you, just like he did last night about the silver. You cannot trust him."

"Damn it, Bill, I am not some foolish child, however much I may have acted like one believing every word out of your mouth. Now, please leave."

Sookie folded her arms across her chest and stared at him defiantly until he sighed and grudgingly stood up and left the room.

The moment the door closed, Eric moved with that eery speed vampires have to sit on the arm of her chair and drape a hand across the back of her neck. He'd moved so fast she didn't have time to react before he was kneeding the tense knot that had gathered there. It felt too good; she couldn't help a small moan before she regained her senses and batted him away.

"Quit that! Go back to where you were sitting."

Eric chuckled as he removed his hand and returned to his seat. She liked it, whether she'd admit it or not. He'd treasure that moan, at least until he found the opportunity to get her to make a similar noise again.

"Please behave yourself, Eric. I'd like to talk to you but if you can't keep your hands to yourself," she began to fuss at him before he interrupted.

"Say no more. I was only trying to help. You're so... Tense," he finished with a smirk.

"Yes, well. Who wouldn't be in my situation?"

Eric nodded and gave her a more serious face. It unnerved her a bit, reminding her of his expression in her dream. "Ask anything you like, Sookie. I have no reason to lie to you."

"Alright. How about telling me why you locked my friend in your basement for two weeks."

"I am not sure I can explain our system of justice to you, but I can try." Eric took a moment to wonder why he was even bothering to explain anything about his kind to a human, but this was Sookie after all and if he wanted her to be his, he knew he would have to succeed where Bill had failed. Sookie would not be happy with him unless he told her what he could, but he would only take so much of her insolence. Compared to others, his treatment of her _friend_ was considerably kind.

"Let me begin by saying that your friend was quite lucky, whether you can believe that or not, to be in my area. Other sheriffs would have done far worse for his crime."

"Yes, Bill said the same thing," Sookie admitted softly.

"A vampire in my area was kidnapped, and I believe, killed. While I also believe I know who it was that took him, I have not punished that person, as a favor to you," Eric paused and judged her expression for a moment, trying to decide how much to tell her, and thinking that at this point maybe less was more. Accusing her brother of killing a vampire might not be the best way to win her.

"And this relates to Lafayette because he was getting blood from that vampire, right?"

"Yes. Although he was not the one to take or harm the vampire, he was punished for two reasons. First, it is a grave offense to treat our blood as a drug, something that Eddie, the vampire he was in business with, would also have been punished for, were he still alive. Second, I believe that Lafayette is responsible for leading the idiot or idiots who took Eddie right to him."

"Okay, but I still don't understand why Lafayette deserved to be tortured for two weeks and you're letting the others go. Not that I think you even have the right to be judge, jury, and executioner, but I'm trying to understand."

"Like I told you, Sookie, this is our way. It has been for longer than this country has been a country. If this system needs reform, that is not my call, nor would it be within my power. What is in my power is to operate within the system."

"So what else is there? I mean besides sheriffs."

"There are also kings and queens that rule over multiple areas. My superior is the Queen of Louisiana. She lives in New Orleans."

"What is she like?"

Eric chuckled, thinking of a way to describe Sophie Anne that wouldn't come back to bite him in the ass later.

"She is a queen, Sookie. Pure and simple."

"Will I ever have to meet her?"

"Probably. I'm sure she would have heard about your talents somewhere. She will undoubtedly want to meet you at some point. And if I may, you would do well to align yourself with a more powerful vampire before that time comes."

"And you offer yourself up as an option, I suppose?" Sookie asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"I am much more powerful an ally than Bill," he answered her in the most sincere voice she'd ever heard him use.

"Will you tell me what you know about Bill that I don't?" she asked before amending, "Without telling me a bunch of lies."

"I told you that I wouldn't lie to you, Sookie, and I won't. I believe you know that Bill is younger and less powerful than me, but do you know what he does?"

"What do you mean?"

"His job. Surely if an older and more powerful vampire, such as myself, needs a source of income, so would he. Do you know what he does?"

"Well, no. I mean, I guess I just assumed he was living off what old Jesse Compton left behind when he passed."

"The house, maybe, but he has a job. I'll be honest that I don't know exactly what it involves, but I do know who he works for."

"And?"

"Bill works for the queen."

"So do you."

"Yes, in my capacity as Sheriff of Area Five, she is my superior. However, I'd be most interested to know what she has Bill doing in Bon Temps," Eric paused and looked Sookie over very carefully for a moment, considering. "Although, I might venture a guess, now that I think about it."

Sookie tried but failed to hide a shudder at the implied conspiracy, before she shook it off for the nonsense it was.

"That's silly. Bill didn't even know I was a telepath. Besides, he moved to Bon Temps because the last member of his family died."

"I'm sure you know better than I," Eric told her, managing to keep all emotion off his face.

She couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or not, but the theory was ludicrous either way so she simply let it drop.

"Then perhaps I will ask Bill about his job the next time we talk."

"What else do you want to know from me, Sookie?" Eric asked, giving her a thoughtful look. She was much smarter than anyone gave her credit for on first glance. She was very interesting.

"Why did you want me to drink your blood? Be straight with me."

"That is an easy one, Sookie. I want you. You are too loyal to Bill because he found you first. I needed a way to get you to consider me. I think I've done that. You may not approve of my methods, but you cannot deny the results."

"And it doesn't cheapen it for you that you cheated?"

"I don't really consider it cheating. I did what I could within in my power at the time. It's no different than Bill."

"Bill was trying to save my life," Sookie quickly shot back, automatically defending her boyfriend.

"So you both say," Eric responded, as if he didn't care if it was true or not.

Sookie just huffed. She wasn't getting anything else out of this for now and she was tired.

"Perhaps you should rest," Eric suggested.

She gave him a nasty look for reading into her feelings, but it wasn't like he was wrong.

"Fine. Go away. Let me rest and think about all of this. You know about the meeting later?"

"With Godric?"

"Yeah, he came to talk to me earlier about having it here."

"Yes, but I need to go speak with him beforehand."

"Send him my best. I suppose I'll see y'all later on."

Eric nodded, distracted by thoughts of checking on his maker, and left the room quickly.

Sookie stood and stretched. Her muscles were so tense. When she got her check from Eric for this trip, she was going to seriously consider going to a spa and getting a massage. She smiled to herself at the thought. Yeah, she surely deserved a treat after all this.

Taking Eric's advice, she went and stretched out in the bed to catch a little nap before she had to deal with more vampire politics.


	4. Chapter 4 The Meeting

Chapter 4 The Meeting

A/N: The biggest complaints I've been getting are my transcriptions. I guess my reasoning behind them was I didn't want to assume you all had watched the show as often or obsessively as I have, but now I realize that was a really silly assumption. =) Hopefully, the remaining chapters will be more pleasing. While I still use certain scenes, they will no longer remain true to the show or borrow so much dialog—although honestly, I'm sure it will still happen some. Thanks for all the feedback guys. I really appreciate your comments and critiques. Please keep them coming. Take care, Manda

Thanks to my wonderful beta for all her hard work on this chapter and for letting me plagiarize a few lines from her. You're the best, Christina! =)

Legal: Not mine! Thanks to CH and AB for letting me play. Please don't sue.

~xoxo~

It was cold. Too cold. And dark. Sookie was disoriented for a moment as she tried to place her surroundings. The ground was hard. She fumbled in her pockets until she found her cell. The phone lit up when she hit a button but it was scarcely enough light to see more than a few inches from the phone. And no signal to boot meant the phone was pretty much useless.

It wasn't like her to get scared of nothing but not knowing where she was made her very nervous. She wasn't bound, she noted to calm herself as she stood. That was a good sign. She took a breath and tried to remain calm. Panicking would not be helpful. Unless it would. Wherever she was, panicking might bring her vampires to the rescue. Did she want to be rescued?

No, she was in no immediate danger, she reasoned as she continued stumbling along in the dark, trying to find any clue as to where she was. There was nothing. In any direction she looked. No light. No warmth. No sound. It was cold and dark. She was on hard, flat ground. That was all she knew. This couldn't be right. Where was she?

She tried to think back. The last thing she could remember clearly was having a sit down conversation with Bill and Eric. Sookie sighed. That had not gone anything like she thought it might have. Bill had been evasive and Eric, well, he'd been almost too agreeable. It was strange.

Still, Godric seemed to think she could trust the Viking. Sookie trusted Godric. How could she not? He had no apparent agenda. If anything, he seemed to want only to make a positive impact on the world. Maybe the saying could be transferred from "like father, like son" to like maker, like child? Maybe. Or maybe she was kidding herself and being overly naïve again.

One thing she couldn't seem to deny was the physical attraction. Eric was gorgeous. Bill was sweet, handsome, old-fashioned. Sookie liked Bill's southern charm. But Eric… He was too much, too sexy. If she'd had blood from both, shouldn't she be equally attracted to both? She wasn't. Bill was the guy you brought home to meet the family but Sookie didn't have any family left. Eric was the guy you had _those _ kind of dreams about. The tall blond god of a man. The Viking. Ah! This train of thought was so not helpful!

She sighed. She'd been walking for a few minutes now but she didn't seem to be getting anywhere at all. They always say that when you're lost, you should just stay in one place and wait to be found. Didn't they? Sookie sat down again in the cold and the dark on the hard ground.

Some plan of action this was turning out to be. She couldn't even decide if she wanted to go or stay. When had things gotten so complicated? Since when were there so many choices to make? She was tired. She needed to rest.

She needed to find out where she was. She needed to make a choice. If only Gran were here. If only she could truly trust someone. But there was no one. It was only Sookie. She was all alone in the dark. She took a deep breath and thought about that for a moment. She was alone but not scared. Other than the uncertainty of where she was and where she wanted to go, she was mostly at peace. For however long she had been wherever it turned out that she was, there had been no emergencies, no life-threatening disasters, and no need to drink vampire blood. It was simple here, wherever here was. In a weird sense, she kind of liked it.

Sookie lay back against the cold, hard ground and closed her eyes. The ground was very uncomfortable but she tried to relax her muscles anyway. As she felt herself begin to relax, the ground seemed a little softer. The dark on the other side of her eyelids seemed a little brighter. She felt a little warmer. Rolling on her side and opening her eyes, Sookie found herself in her bed in the hotel.

She was disoriented. Had it been a dream? Was this real? It felt more like she was just really relaxed and thinking somewhere quiet. It was too lucid (thank you word-a-day calendar) to be a dream. She stretched and climbed out of bed. She had taken a nap. It must have been a dream but it was too real and too memorable. Normally dreams got fuzzy when she woke, but this one seemed more like a memory of what she was doing five minutes ago. Besides, it didn't make any sense. Why would she dream about nothing?

A huge yawn stretched her mouth wide open and she stretched out her body as far as she could, reaching her finger tips toward the ceiling. Too weird. A glance at the clock told her she'd best get ready for Godric's arrival. She'd have to sort out the cold, dark, calm place later.

Still feeling a bit disoriented, Sookie slipped into a nice soft sundress and pulled her hair up in her usual high ponytail. She straightened the sofa cushions and double-checked to be sure that the minibar was stocked. Her guests would be here soon and she was determined to be the good host Gran had taught her to be, whether she felt like entertaining or not.

Finally satisfied that everything looked nice, she slipped into the bathroom to touch up her makeup. Just as she was reapplying her lipstick, she heard a knock on the door. She clicked the cap on the tube and headed out to greet the first guest.

She hoped Godric would be first to arrive. He might have some insight on this weird not-dream place. She should have known better. Opening the door, it was Bill she found there. Sookie took a deep breath and stepped aside. It wasn't worth the argument to her right then. Perhaps he was a guest of Godric's. If not, she could always ask him to leave later.

Bill stepped inside and turned back to her as she closed the door. She was feeling confused and annoyed. He didn't want to annoy her. He wanted to fix this.

"How can I fix this?" he blurted out before he could think.

"Be honest with me," she told him simply before moving around him to sit down.

"I love you, Sookie," he told her as he knelt at her feet.

"It's not enough, Bill. You love the idea of me, not the real me."

"That's not true, Sookie."

"Yes, it is. If you loved me the way I am, you'd understand what's important to me. You would let me make my own choices. It's not 1865 anymore, Bill."

"You're right. I know you are. I'm sorry. I've been a fool for treating you like that, Sookie, but I do love you. Give me a chance. Let me make this right."

"Of course, Bill. I want this to work," she told him, gesturing between them, "but I can't do it alone. You have to be honest with me."

Bill nodded and smiled, satisfied with her answer. He leaned up to kiss her and she was trying to decide whether to let him when a knock at the door provided a welcome interruption. Bill smiled and slid back to allow her to stand and answer the door.

Godric, Isabel, and Eric were at the door when opened it.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Sookie," Godric greeted her as she stepped back to allow them entrance.

"You're welcome, Godric," she answered, leading them into the sitting room where Bill had already made himself comfortable.

"Ah, Mr. Compton," Godric began as he sat on the couch across from him, "How nice to see you again."

"It is an honor, Sheriff," Bill replied with a polite nod before regarding his own sheriff. "Eric," he said simply with a quick nod.

"Bill," Eric returned the greeting as he took a seat in the single chair at the foot of the couches as Isabel joined Godric on his couch.

Sookie, for her part, was relieved at the lack of confrontation so far. She'd be so embarrassed if Bill and Eric had words in front of Godric and Isabel.

"Can I get ya'll anything?" Sookie asked, but each vampire politely refused. "Well, how many guests are you expecting, Godric?"

"I would guess at least three. I am sorry for the imposition."

"No, it's not that at all. I was just wonderin' if we needed more chairs."

"Probably not," Godric responded as the hotel room door swung open violently without even the courtesy of a knock.

Staring at the tall blond vampire that had just barged into her room, Sookie realized it was Nan Flanagan from the television. She was flanked on either side by vampires that were undoubtedly her bodyguards. She marched across the room as if she owned it as Godric stood to greet her.

Sookie slipped quietly to the door and closed it softly before standing unobtrusively against the wall. She wondered for a moment if she should leave entirely. She could just slip over to Jason's room for the meeting but curiosity compelled her to stay. She doubted that many humans got the opportunity to see vampire politics at work and she was too wrapped up in this world to remain safely ignorant.

As Miss Flanagan railed at Godric for creating a public relations nightmare, Sookie couldn't help but wonder what kind of power the woman held. From what she'd gleaned from being around the Dallas vampires, Godric was very old and powerful and very well respected.

Apparently Sookie wasn't the only one shocked by the woman's treatment of Godric. She wondered if this meeting would end without Eric taking the hateful woman's head, quite literally, off her shoulders. She was actually firing Godric. Could she be a queen too?

Sookie wanted to defend Godric. He was her friend. He'd saved her in that church and he didn't deserve what was happening to him. Could Sookie stand up to this queen? If that was even what she was. She gathered her resolve and took a tentative step forward. Bill and Eric both turned to look at her, their eyes pleaded with her as they shook their heads, "no."

Trusting them for now, she leaned back against the wall. Surely if something helpful would have come from her defense, Eric would have allowed it. Whether he'd admit it or not, she knew Eric loved Godric beyond politics or reason. Despite Eric's leveling with her, and his matter-of-fact explanation of how his world works, she couldn't get the other Eric out of her mind, the Eric from her dream, the Eric Godric had told her existed. She looked over at him again. He looked sad.

Sookie listened as Godric retold the events of the bombing, but she couldn't help that her gaze kept drifting to Eric. He looked so lost, scared even. What could possibly scare Eric Northman? She wanted to comfort him, but thought better of it and kept her spot as Godric continued his retelling of the night's trauma. Sadness and regret tinged every syllable. Godric truly wanted peace but he didn't seem to believe in it anymore. He looked heartbroken.

All the vampires became rather solemn as Godric began to apologize and take full responsibility for all the loss. Sookie had never seen humility from any vampire and it moved her heart.

When she looked to Eric again, he looked absolutely distraught and that made her worry. There were undertones to what Godric was saying that she was missing.

Miss Flanagan dismissed Godric's words casually, "Take it easy. It's just a few signatures," and took her leave.

Eric approached Godric and began a tense exchange as Bill approached Sookie.

"May I stay here tonight?" Bill asked, blocking her view of the other two lost in conversation.

"Uh, yeah. Sure, I guess so," she responded noncommittally, trying to make her way around Bill to check on her friend but being easily blocked.

Bill put a hand on each of her shoulders. "Never mind them. They are not our concern."

Sookie gave Bill a cold look. "He's my friend," she told him frankly before shrugging off his embrace in time to see Eric following Godric from the room.

She'd only just heard him say something about the roof before they both disappeared.

"Sookie," Bill called, trying to stop her.

She turned and gave him another stern look. "This is me making choices, Bill. You will not be standing in my way."

With that, she turned and raced out the door to find Godric. He was her friend and she might not understand everything that was going on, but she knew he was in pain and she had to do something about that if she could.


	5. Chapter 5 The Roof

Chapter 5 The Roof

A/N: Warning: Sad. Keep the tissues nearby and don't say I didn't warn you. Thanks to my wonderful beta, Christina for her wicked sharp eye! =)

~xoxo~

Sookie reached the roof top just after the two vampires, wondering why they'd choose to talk here so close to dawn. It didn't take long, nor too many pleas from Eric, for her to catch on. Godric still meant to sacrifice himself. He still didn't understand.

She heard him tell Eric that they, vampires, were wrong. Mostly she listened to the immovable Viking break down. He cried and begged his maker to stay—the language might have become unintelligible but the gist of the conversation was unmistakable. Godric was determined and Eric could not sway him.

The dawn was too close; she needed to get them off the roof. Eric slowly headed back in her direction.

"I'll stay with him," she swore as the blond solemnly headed down the stairs toward safety.

"Godric," Sookie began.

"It's okay, Sookie. I'm exactly where I need to be," he told his new human friend calmly, hoping she would accept it. He could hardly order her away.

"I disagree," she continued in as calm a voice as she could manage and held up a hand to beg him to let her finish. "I think there is more work to be done here and you are robbing the good side of a brave ally." 

"I fear I do this world more harm than good. I need to burn. All these years here but now, I will rest."

"Please, Godric," she sobbed, thinking of how much their budding friendship was coming to mean to her and how much she wanted it to have a chance to bloom. "We need you."

"You do not," he told her softly. "But it means more than you will ever know to hear you, a beautiful, pure, wise, young human, value me."

He asked her about her belief in God and she answered as honestly as she could manage but her heart hurt and her mind would not clear or concentrate.

"I have to believe I'm right, Godric, because heaven would not be a paradise for me if I don't get to see you again."

"My dear friend, thank you. Take care of yourself. Trust your heart. And, if you can manage it, look after my child."

Sookie could only nod and sob as Godric turned to face the rising sun with a peaceful smile on his face. She was thankful that it was quick, a beautiful blue flame and her friend was gone from this earth. She bowed her head and said a silent prayer, hoping God would answer a prayer for a vampire.

Sookie stayed on the roof and cried softly at the loss of her friend for a while before remembering there was someone she cared about hurting so much worse. Sookie still couldn't be sure if she could trust Eric or if any of her feelings for him were her own but right now, it didn't matter. He was in so much pain.

Deciding that she couldn't possibly sleep without offering him some measure of comfort, she headed back down into the hotel to seek out his room.

Sookie emerged from the elevator on the floor her room shared with Eric's. His door was ajar. She knew he was distraught but she still found herself surprised at this bit of carelessness. Say anything you want about Eric Northman but he was certainly a creature of intent. He always seemed to have a purpose for every move he made.

Sookie quietly slipped into the suite and called out to him softly, "Eric?"

Getting no response, she ventured a bit further into the room. Through the doorway to a bedroom, she saw him sitting on a bed and staring at the floor. She continued toward him cautiously, not wanting to startle him.

He looked up at her questioningly as she stepped through the doorway. "Sookie?"

"I'm so sorry," she told him softly as she continued her approach. His face was stained with tears of blood. She'd never have imagined he could look so thoroughly broken. "You need to rest," she told him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

He let his head drop back down toward the floor and shook it back and forth. "I can't. I..."

"Shh," she shushed him, climbing into the bed beside him and pulling him back to lie down. He allowed her to move him and she helped him settle with his back against her chest and her arms wrapped around his shoulders.

There were no words. She knew he'd find no comfort in platitudes so she just held him, occasionally dropping a soft kiss onto the top of his head.

Eventually he grew very still. She carefully rolled him to his side and slipped from the bed. Standing there staring down at him she believed she could see a bit of the man Godric had told her existed beneath the Viking shell.

Eric certainly had done many things that she considered more than morally questionable but she couldn't find it in herself anymore to dislike him. And for some unknown reason he was interested in her. Sure, part of it was the use of her disability but beyond that, why did _he_ want _her_? He was gorgeous, rich, and powerful, not that any of that mattered. He was loyal, fighting tooth and nail for his maker. There really was a lot of love in Eric, whether he'd admit it or not.

Of its own volition, her hand reached out to touch his cheek. The attraction was undeniable. She wanted to touch him and she wanted him to touch her but she wasn't that kind of girl. She didn't do that with someone she didn't love.

Did she love Bill? She told herself she did but standing here, letting her fingers play softly across Eric's jaw, she was having more than a little difficulty believing it.

She withdrew her wandering hand and took a deep breath. She should get back to her own room and Bill. She turned to leave but paused before she reached the bedroom door.

A strong urge to stay here and hold the wounded Viking as he slept pressed in on her. She turned back to look at him again. What would he think if she stayed? Would he take it as too strong a sign of her affections? What would he think if she left? Would spurning him at his weakest moment make him hate her?

The thought made her heart hurt. She wasn't sure his hate was something she could bear. Ever since she'd met him, all she'd wanted was for him to leave her be but now...

She sighed as she stood there, halfway between the bed and the door. And what about Bill? He would be upset if she didn't return. He might even be trying to stay up and wait for her to return. She really should get back, she thought as she took another step toward the bed and the sleeping Viking.

It was his tear-stained face in that expression of innocence that can only be achieved in sleep that made her decision for her. It would be cruel to leave him like this. She wasn't sure what the consequences of the choice might be come morning, but she couldn't leave him like this-in such pain and so vulnerable.

She slipped back out to the exterior door of the suite and closed and locked it securely before returning to the bedroom. She slipped over to the closet and took one of Eric's large t-shirts off a hanger. As quickly as she could, she changed from her sun dress to the over-sized shirt. It fell past her knees and would be more than comfortable to sleep in. She lay back down behind him and threw her arm around Eric's waist. Settling in, she soon fell off to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6 Get Out!

Chapter 6 Get Out!

A/N: Sorry it's been so long since I've updated but this semester has been rough. Fortunately, the semester is almost over and all my stories will be seeing updates soon! :)

Beta: I'm a firm believer in betas and I often say this chapter would not be possible without mine. For this chapter, this is very literal! **Thank you, Christina**, for the writing the paragraph that would not come to me! :)

Legal: Not mine : (

~xoxo~

Dark again. Not cold though. Sookie was no closer to figuring out what this dream place was. She'd wanted to ask Godric but…

Godric. He was really gone.

She couldn't understand why he'd just give up like that. He was tired, she supposed. If she lived for millennia she would be too. Still, she'd miss him.

Sookie stretched out in the empty darkness, feeling her muscles flex as she moved. It was so dark and so quiet. Every breath she took and every minute movement was sharp and noticeable. Where could this be?

She stood and began walking again. Nothing changed. There was no way to mark her progress. After a while, she sat again.

A feeling of safety surrounded her. This place, although a mystery to her, was very peaceful. She was beginning to become quite comfortable here. Peaceful and warm.

Sookie found herself hoping that Godric was somewhere he found peaceful. Eric was certainly not. Last night had been heartbreaking to watch.

Last night. She had stayed with Eric. What would Bill say? A bit of panic shattered her peace and her senses dulled a bit. She almost thought she heard…

"Sookie! Wake up!"

Opening her eyes, Sookie found Eric leaning over her. Was that concern for her she saw before he pulled back?

"Eric. I'm sorry, I…"

"You slept here last night."

"Yes. I didn't want to leave you alone."

"I am a very old vampire, Sookie," he said, turning away from her and walking toward the closet. "I assure you I am quite capable of looking after myself."

Sookie started to feel embarrassed. He didn't want her here.

Before she had time to contemplate the thought, he had returned and was kneeling on the floor beside her, holding her hands in his.

"That is not what I meant, Sookie. You know I do want you here. You should be mine. I only meant that I do not need to be pitied."

Sookie nodded but refused to make eye contact with him.

"I am glad you are here, Sookie. You belong here with me," he told her, lifting her chin with the tips of his fingers and forcing her to look at him.

She sighed as she looked in his eyes and saw nothing but truth there.

"I just know how it feels. That's all. I know you are a big bad vampire but that doesn't mean you don't feel. We all need someone to be there for us when things get to be too much."

"You're right. I'm sorry. What I should have said was this: thank you."

Sookie nodded and started to climb out of Eric's bed. "I should get going before Bill…"

Before she could finish her sentence, the outer door to Eric's room was knocked in and Bill stormed into the room.

"What have you done to her?" he accused, heading straight for Eric's half-dressed form standing by the bed.

"Nobody's done anything to me, Bill. I'm right here."

"Thank God, Sookie, I was so worried," he began, heading toward her until he noticed her attire. "Sookie, what are you wearing? And what are you doing in Eric's bed?" he accused pointedly, looking back at Eric.

Eric smirked and raised an eyebrow, but looked back to Sookie for whatever explanation she wanted to give.

"It's not what it looks like," she tried to explain, tugging at Eric's shirt tail as it barely fell past her knees. 

"You said you wanted us to work out, Sookie. Are you punishing me?"

"Damn it, Bill! Listen to me. I know what this looks like, but you've got it all wrong."

"This is your fault!" Bill yelled, stepping up to Eric and punching him as hard as he could across the jaw.

Eric just let the force of the blow turn his head. Before he'd even had a chance to turn back to face Bill, Sookie was off the bed pushing her way between them.

"Get out!" she screamed, getting up in Bill's face. "You have no idea what's going on and you apparently don't give a damn. Now get the hell out, Bill Compton, and I don't care if I ever see you again!"

"Sookie!" he yelled, grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking her a bit. "Please, you don't know what you're saying. Come with me, away from him."

"Fuck you!" Sookie screamed, struggling to get loose from Bill's grasp.

Eric reached up and carefully pulled Bill's fingers from her shoulders. Sookie slipped out from between the two vampires and slid behind Eric, out of Bill's reach.

"You will leave now, Bill," Eric told him calmly while keeping him from grabbing Sookie.

"I will not let you take her from me!"

"I have taken nothing!" Eric, finally losing his temper, leaned down and yelled into Bill's face. Calming slightly, he stood up and spoke again. "You may leave of your own power or mine, but you will leave now."

Bill stared defiantly up at the Viking for a moment but he knew he couldn't win this on raw power alone.

"This is not the end of this," Bill warned before turning to storm out of the room.

The room got eerily quiet and Sookie stepped back around Eric to face him.

"I'm sorry, Eric."

He shrugged and went back toward the closet to finish dressing.

"Thank you," she said softly, staring at his back as he pulled on his t-shirt.

"You're welcome," he responded evenly without turning back to her. He just kept staring into the closet, lost in his own thoughts.

"Eric," she began.

He sighed and turned to face her.

"I…" she began again before he interrupted her.

"Sookie, I have some things I have to do today. I should feed. Don't worry, you can stay here in the bedroom and I'll keep the room service in the outer sitting area. You should probably get dressed though. Pam will be here soon. You can let her know what you need from Bill's room and she can go get your luggage for you. And I will need to go speak with Isabel," Eric finally came to a stop with his manic to-do list as a single red tear rolled down his cheek.

Sookie crossed to him quickly and reached up to wipe the tear away. She sighed. He was trying to hide his pain by staying busy. She wanted to distract him from that plan and help him deal with this. She was afraid that no one else would show him the sympathy he needed. No, she couldn't imagine Pam offering a shoulder to cry on.

"Come and sit with me on the bed," she told him, grabbing his hand.

"Sookie, I have to get things done," he bristled. "I'm sure you think I need to deal with my feelings but I don't."

She shrugged and released his hand before continuing to and sitting down on the bed. "I understand. I just thought you needed to feed."

Eric's eyes widened. "And you're offering?"

"The least I could do," she said dismissively with a shrug of her left shoulder.

Before she could blink, Eric was kneeling between her legs on the floor, looking up at her.

"You do not owe me anything, Sookie. If you want this, tell me you want me. Do not misunderstand what you are offering. You've had my blood. If I have yours, we will begin a process of bonding that I will not want to stop. I will make you mine."

Sookie thought about what she really wanted as she stared down into those ocean blue eyes. The truth was there was no going back to Bill, and there was only one path forward and away from him. She would not stay with a man, vampire or not, that lied to her, obviously thought she was stupid, and may or may not have intentionally put her in harm's way to gain a way into her life.

But it was more than just wanting to be rid of Bill, who was proving to be toxic, as some of her romances occasionally described the heroine's bad relationships. It was more than not wanting to be lied to and used anymore. When Eric mentioned having to order "room service", Sookie had felt an unexpected… jealously. Was that what that was? She didn't like it, and she decided she had to do something about it.

Eric was surprised at the resolve he saw in her eyes and felt from her, but he was stunned when she shifted her long blond hair to one side and bared her neck to him. He leaned in, breathing across her lovely tanned throat and causing little chill bumps to rise before a shiver ran through her body.

He forced himself to pause and give her one more chance to be sure. "Ask me," he commanded.

Sookie took a deep breath and reached a hand up to rest on the nape of his neck.

"Bite me, Eric, please."


End file.
